How to Spray Drywall Textures

Drywall texture is an inexpensive, easy-to-use application that adds visual interest to a room while masking wall imperfections. Spray-on texture is durable enough to last for years, but easy to scrape off if desired. You can purchase drywall compound or popcorn texture at a paint or home store and rent a drywall hopper to apply it. Use the orange peel method for light texture and the popcorn method for heavier coverage.

1

Remove furniture from the room, mask wall edges and trim with painter’s tape and lay plastic sheeting over the floor and ceiling to protect them from drywall spray.

2

Finish the wall if you haven’t already done so. Wash the wall with soap and water, rinse and allow it to dry. Apply three coats of drywall compound, using a putty knife and allowing the compound to dry between coats. Sand the last coat with 100-grit sandpaper, and prime and paint the wall. Use white paint or the same color paint that you want the texture to be.

3

Mix plain drywall texture in a bucket with water or paint until it reaches the consistency of pancake batter, using a drill with a mixing paddle attachment, for orange peel texture. If you are applying popcorn texture, submerge the texture in a bucket of water or paint according to package directions, let it sit for three hours, then mix it with a drill and mixing paddle attachment.

4

Fill the hopper with the mixture and fit it with a narrow nozzle for orange texture or a wide nozzle for popcorn texture. Connect the hopper to an air compressor set to 30 pounds of pressure.

5

Tape large sheets of paper to the wall for practice. Turn on the air compressor and spray the drywall texture onto the paper in even strokes. Move more quickly for lighter texture and more slowly for heavier texture, and spray horizontally from top to bottom. Once you are satisfied with your technique, spray the texture on the actual wall.

6

Draw the flat edge of a trowel over the texture to even it out and knock it down, or flatten the tops of the elevated points, slightly.

Things You Will Need

Painter’s tape

Plastic sheeting

Dish soap

Drywall compound

100-grit sandpaper

Waterproof drywall paint

Interior latex paint

Popcorn texture (optional)

Bucket

Paint (optional)

Drill with mixing paddle attachment

Drywall hopper

Air compressor

Large sheets of paper

Trowel

Warning

Painting over textured walls is not recommended, as bits of texture may come off during painting.

About the Author

Christina Sloane has been writing since 1992. Her work has appeared in several national literary magazines.